NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In these tough times, many people appear willing to gamble a few precious dollars in the hope of winning instant deliverance from their economic woes.

More than half of all states with lotteries have reported rising sales over the past six months, and some researchers say financial insecurity might be driving people to risk more of their money than usual on $1 and $5 instant scratch-offs and other daily games in hopes of a big payoff.

“Someday, somebody is going to win, and I hope it is me,” said Albert Atwood of Nashville, who spends $100 weekly playing the Pick 5 and Lotto Plus. “I imagine that I would be a heap better off if I saved this money, but everybody has dreams.”

Driven by regulars like Atwood and a growing number of occasional players, 25 of 42 states with lotteries have experienced higher sales of scratch-off and daily lottery games since July, according to Scientific Games, a maker of scratch-offs.

• In Washington, D.C., instant sales reached a record of $45 million in the 2008 fiscal year, representing an 11 percent year-over-year increase.

• In Tennessee, sales of instant lottery games were up $8 million during the fiscal first quarter that ended in October.

• The Massachusetts lottery reached a record of $4.7 billion in sales during the last fiscal year, up from $4.4 billion in the previous year.

• On Jan. 1, Colorado Lottery officials reported a calendar-year record for 2008, with $499.4 million in sales. It represented the fifth straight year of gains for the lottery.

Nationwide, instant and daily lottery revenues have been on the rise since 2004, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Some experts say economic hardships prompt people to justify small-stakes gambles even as they cut back on nonessential goods and services. Others pin the increased lottery activity on creative marketing by scratch-off makers and state governments, which cannot afford to lose this revenue stream at a time of extremely tight budgets.

Many people do not realize that routine spending on lotteries can be just as costly as the occasional visit to a casino.

“Small ticket purchases add up over time,” said Emily Haisley, a postdoctoral associate at the Yale School of Management who published a research paper on lotteries in The Journal of Behavioral Decision Making in July.

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